I and a couple friends play this game together and we regularly meet up to massacre each others forces and siege each others towns.

I noticed when I (Race of mighty Men) sieged his (Vile Orcs) swamp fortress, my forces were placed pretty much directly in full view and range of his catapults. Added to this, I had the bright idea of making myself a fortified camp before I started to attack him which resulted in a "Fish in a barrel" situation for flaming boulders and burning troops. The small exits to my camp and the burning patches on the ground pretty much sealed the deal before I was even 30 seconds into the siege.

After we both rebuilt he attacked my homeland in Southmont. When he arrived he was well out of range of any of my defenses and was therefore able to pick away at my wall and trebuchets with his catapults while mine were only able to fire 2 to 3 at a time. I didn't just let it happen of course, and I managed to emerge victorious from the battle, but it made me think.

Is the Orc swamp settlement the only one that places your whole army right under their catapults?

What are your siege stories? What do the other homelands look like in terms of walls and starting points for enemy armies? I'd love to read them.